Residents block road in Yerevan over safety concerns

Residents of the Veratsnund district in Yerevan staged a peaceful protest on Monte Melkonyan Street on Friday, blocking traffic to demand safer pedestrian infrastructure and improved public transport access.

Demonstrators, including children who drew makeshift crosswalks with chalk, said the absence of marked pedestrian crossings near a bus stop poses serious risks. “This is about our safety,” one of the protesters, Armine Yepremyan, told reporters, noting that repeated appeals to the Yerevan city hall had yielded only vague assurances.

Locals complained that despite promises to resolve the issue by September 1 two years ago, no action has been taken. With nearly 4,000 residents deprived of convenient public transport, many said their right to free movement is being undermined. “My children walk to school every day along a dangerous road. This is a matter of safety,” another protester said.

One resident proposed building an overpass, but city officials reportedly rejected the idea citing budget constraints. Protesters said reaching the opposite sidewalk can take up to 25 minutes, forcing them to detour via Leningradyan Street and the Sports and Concerts Complex.

Police officers on site urged demonstrators to reopen the road, but residents vowed to continue pressing their case, announcing a follow-up protest scheduled for June 1.